Sunday, 4 May 2008

Custard tart – the return....

Also known as “the tart so beautiful it almost glows”:

Quite an elegant photo for me....

There are times - even in The Caked Crusader’s life - when you simply have to do as you’re told. Let’s just say that after the triumph of last week’s custard tart (for the recipe click here), the CCM (Caked Crusader’s Ma) made it very clear that should I arrive this week for my Sunday roast lunch sans-tart bad things might happen. So I’ve made another custard tart....even super heroes have to do as their Ma tells them!

Fresh from the oven:

Look at all that lovely nutmeg....mmm, nutmeg.....

This time I tried it with my own sweet shortcrust pastry recipe set out below. The pastry was much better natured and less stressful to work with – and, most importantly, had no detrimental effect to the flavour or texture of the finished tart.

Here’s the pastry settling into the pastry ring:

This is what ‘baking blind’ means – cooking the pastry shell with weight on it to stop it rising:

What a nice way to end a bank holiday post – the CCM is happy as she has another custard tart; I’m happy as I have one of the CCM’s magical roast dinners....all is right with the world!

Gratuitous custard tart shots....yes I know....I have a problem....but look at how beautiful it is......Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

- Put the flour and butter into a bowl and rub together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs – either using your fingertips, a food processor or, as I discovered to my joy, the beater fitting on the Kitchenaid mixer.

- Add the icing sugar and stir in.

- Add the egg yolk and bring the dough together until it is smooth, glossy and soft.

- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before you need to use it – this relaxes the dough and stops the cooked pastry from shrinking.

- Bask in glory at the wonderful thing you have made.

- Do not eat yet – it’s raw! Cook it according to the recipe requirements.

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Follow my ambitious attempt to find a recipe for a cake, biscuit, pie or tart for every single one of the 39 traditional English counties!

The Caked Crusader and Boy Wonder

Cartoon by Cakeyboi

About Me

So, the answer to the question you’re all asking: who am I? Well, a superhero never reveals their identity. I think it’s stated somewhere in the contract when you sign up for superhero-dom. Let’s just call me THE CAKED CRUSADER. By day (and night if I’m being honest) a mild-mannered City professional, but at weekends I become THE CAKED CRUSADER. Tirelessly fighting anti-cake propaganda and cake-related injustices – for SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE, ALWAYS NEEDS CAKE (we’ll just skip over the fact that it’s usually me).

Batman’s got the batmobile, batcave etc. Superman does just great what with being able to fly and being really strong. Spiderman’s got that web thing going on. But I have better than them. For I have a credit card and could get one of these:

The purpose of my blog is simple – to spread the word that CAKE IS GOOD.Yes, it is calorific; that is why it tastes so nice.Yes, too much of it is bad for you; that’s what ‘too much’ means.Yes, we’re all told to eat healthily and we know that we should. But ask yourself this – and look very deeply into your soul before answering – when has a cup of tea and a carrot ever cheered you up? However, put that carrot into a cake and happiness will ensue. Quod erat demonstrandum – CAKE IS GOOD.

This site will catalogue cakes I have unleashed unto the world and my thoughts thereon.

By the way, I will never recommend how many portions you should get out of a cake because we’re all different. Plus, it will be very embarrassing when I say it serves 4 and you get 20 portions out of it.

WARNING: Too much time spent on this blog may cause hunger.

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Cake Achievement in Film and Television Arts (CAFTA)

Have you seen a cake in a film or tv show that deserves recognition? Has a cupcake upstaged a beefcake?

If so, please let me know and that cake could win a coveted CAFTA award. Email me your suggestions, with a photo of the cake if possible.

About Me

I am a 40-something Chartered Accountant working in the square mile.
My main hobbies at the moment are baking, and setting the world record for the number of cake tins owned by one person.
I spend far too much time watching Spongebob Squarepants and would love to try a Krabby Patty...I know, I know - it's not real.